1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless data transfer systems and, more particularly, to a motor vehicle license plate with integral wireless tracking and data dissemination device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent events in our history have reminded us how easily terrorists, criminals and others who are hiding from the law can travel about in motor vehicles. Once such people are inside the anonymity of a car or truck, they can move freely about our country with little danger of being caught. Even if they should be pulled over for a minor travel violation, they are often released without the law enforcement officer even knowing their true identity due to inadequate alerts, incompatible computer systems and often just oversight. Also, due to illegible communications, transcription errors, and the like, incorrect or incomplete license plate numbers are checked, thus allowing criminals and others to be released. Other crimes involving motor vehicles such as car-jackings, kidnaping in motor vehicles and the like are also on the rise and are almost impossible to stop other than by blind luck. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which license plate registrations, driver's license information, vehicle status and the like can be queried, accessed and verified without the time-consuming effort and error-prone processes afforded by current methods.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related:
U.S. Patent No. Des. 396,439, issued in the name of Turnquest, discloses an ornamental design for an auto license plate lock box system;                U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,822, issued in the name of Sterzer, discloses an electronic license plate for motor vehicles;        U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,179, issued in the name of Smith, discloses an electronic display license plate;        U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,846, issued in the name of Brockelsby et al., discloses a moving vehicle identification system;        U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,008, issued in the name of Hulderman et al., discloses an electronic license plate apparatus and method; and        U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,571, issued in the name of Bantli et al., discloses an integrated retro-reflective electronic display.        
Consequently, there exists a continuous need for new ideas and enhancements for existing products in the electronic tracking and database transmission industry.